ECAMP 15

Several recent experiments performing VUV laser nuclear spectroscopy of Thorium-229 doped into calcium fluoride single crystals allow to probe nuclear properties and host material parameters with unprecedented accuracy. In this talk I will resume our current understanding of the microscopic doping structure, combining theoretical modelling, solid-state techniques like XAFS and RBS, and precision laser spectroscopy. We also report quenching of the thorium-229 isomer population under X-ray and laser illumination in the VUV, UV and optical range, indicating a strong and controllable coupling of nuclear and solid-state degrees of freedom.